MO ELLEITHEE named DNC communications director -- ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER in S.F. today: 'We must never stop being tough on crime. But we must also be smarter on crime' -- TWITTER TAKING STEPS to go

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EXCLUSIVE – DNC names Mo Elleithee (il-LAY-thee), 40, one of the city’s best-known Democratic operatives, to succeed Brad Woodhouse as communications director, starting Friday: “Mo Elleithee is a 17-year veteran of Democratic politics specializing in communications. He's worked on four different presidential campaigns, including as traveling press secretary for Hillary Clinton's 2008 bid; worked in senior communications roles for candidates across the country including Tim Kaine (VA), Mark Warner (VA), and Tom Udall (NM); and has advised various Democratic party committees including the DSCC, DCCC and Democratic Party of Virginia. For the past three years, he's been on the faculty of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, and he's a die-hard Hoya basketball fan. He'll be taking a leave of absence from his firm, Hilltop Public Solutions, to join the DNC full-time.”

--In a forthcoming email to friends, Mo writes: "When Nick Baldick and I teamed up to start Hilltop Public Solutions in January of 2006, I knew we were starting something special. Today, seven and half years later, I’m proud to see Hilltop has emerged as one of the top public affairs and political consulting firms in the nation. … But life is full of transitions … I’m excited to join Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the rest of the outstanding DNC team in helping to advance President Obama’s agenda and support our great Democratic candidates … This is an exciting time for the Democratic Party, and I’m excited to help share that story.”

DRIVING THE DAY – “Holder moves to rein in jail sentences,” by Josh Gerstein: “Attorney General Eric Holder is calling on the federal government to rein its use of one of the most ubiquitous tools in the war on crime—minimum mandatory sentences … [H]e's making a unilateral move to cut down on such sentences in drug cases even as Congress debates a broader retreat from the once-popular sentencing concept. ‘Some statutes that mandate inflexible sentences -- regardless of the facts or conduct at issue in a particular case -- reduce the discretion available to prosecutors, judges, and juries,’ Holder is to say in a speech to the American Bar Association Monday in San Francisco … ‘They breed disrespect for the system. When applied indiscriminately, they do not serve public safety. They have had a disabling effect on communities. And they are ultimately counterproductive.’

“Holder plans to announce that he's instructing federal prosecutors not to charge garden-variety drug dealers with crimes that lead to lengthy mandatory minimum sentences. ‘Certain low-level, nonviolent drug offenders who have no ties to large-scale organizations, gangs, or cartels will no longer be charged with offenses that impose draconian mandatory minimum sentences. They now will be charged with offenses for which the accompanying sentences are better suited to their individual conduct, rather than excessive prison terms more appropriate for violent criminals or drug kingpins’ …

“Holder is also expected to announce that he's expanding efforts to reduce federal prison populations by releasing elderly prisoners sooner, by allowing local U.S. Attorneys not to prosecute some kinds of cases in federal court and by diverting ‘low-level offenders’ to programs that keep them out of hardcore federal prisons. The initiative is aimed at building on growing bipartisan momentum at the state level—and to a lesser intent in Congress—to retreat from some of the harshest anti-crime measures adopted in the 1980s and 1990s.

“As fear of violent crime has dropped precipitously in recent years, critics of lengthy federal sentences are trying to capitalize on the intensifying pressure on the federal budget to persuade Republicans and conservative Democrats to consider measures that might have been attacked a couple of decades ago as soft on crime. … Holder plans to signal Monday that Obama is willing to make some effort to craft and support legislation to restore judges' discretion in some cases now governed by mandatory minimums.” http://politi.co/141u9hR

2016 WATCH -- WSJ A1, above fold, “It Looks A Lot Like 2016 In Iowa,” by Patrick O’Connor in Ames: Sen. Ted “Cruz … on Saturday made his second trip to Iowa this summer. He and [Rick] Santorum … addressed a forum of Iowa evangelicals here. They were joined by real-estate developer turned reality-television star Donald Trump. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a fellow Republican, was in Des Moines a week earlier to attend an event organized by a prominent GOP donor in the state. Democrats looking to 2016 aren't advertising their intent as openly … That said, Vice President Joe Biden caused a stir late Sunday when a representative confirmed he will speak next month at Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, a traditional platform for White House hopefuls. Meanwhile, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who had made overtures to the Iowa delegation during last year's Democratic National Convention, will be headlining a fundraiser for the North Iowa Democrats later this week …

“Obama's first major Iowa appearance didn't come until September 2006 at the Harkin steak fry … [T]hese early courtship rituals aren't meant to lock in support but rather to signal interest in the race and start talks with the activists and officials whose support represents the scaffolding on which presidential campaigns are built. … Cruz … will be back in October to headline a fundraiser … and will head to New Hampshire … later this month. During his first trip to Iowa earlier this summer, the Texan addressed an influential group of pastors and met with other activists and operatives in the lobby of the Des Moines Marriott, a standard hotbed of political activity. … Asked by reporters about his frequent trips to Iowa, … Cruz joked that he traveled north because ‘it's hot in Texas right now.’” http://on.wsj.com/11YBz7V

HILLARY TO HOLD FIRST POLITICAL EVENT SINCE LEAVING STATE – Maggie Haberman: “Hillary Clinton will host a fundraiser for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton family friend, at her home in Washington next month … The Sept. 30 event marks the former secretary of state’s first political event since leaving Foggy Bottom earlier this year … Clinton has been expected to do some sort of politicking for McAuliffe, but people close to her have stressed that it doesn’t represent the starting gun of political activity for her in her latest phase; instead, it’s helping someone who has been close to the former first couple for years. Clinton’s husband has already hosted a handful of fundraisers for McAuliffe. … It remains to be seen whether Clinton, whose approval ratings remain quite high, especially with female voters, will make a public appearance for McAuliffe.”

OBAMA ALUMNI NEWS – HUD ANNOUNCEMENT: “Please join Secretary Donovan in welcoming Angela Barranco, our new Deputy Chief of Staff. … She comes to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after serving as the National Western Regional Director for the 2012 Obama Campaign. In her new role as Deputy Chief of Staff, Angela will be working closely with Brent Colburn on managing the external facing components of the department. … A veteran of government and public service, Angela Barranco has worked for over a decade in policy, politics and communications. In 2012, Angela served in Chicago as the National Western Regional Director for President Obama’s re-election campaign, overseeing campaign programming, budgeting and strategic planning for 13 western states, including California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Washington.

“Angela has also gained experience working with communities across the country, including stints in Florida, Missouri, New York, Virginia and Texas. She served as Campaign Manager for several top-tier Congressional races, as Communications Director for the offices of two U.S. Representatives, as a Congressional Fellow for Energy and Environment Issues and as Legislative Director for the City Council President of her hometown of Yonkers, New York. She is a graduate of Columbia University, with a Bachelor’s in Environmental and Conservation Biology.”

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TOP TALKER – USA Today 1A, below fold, “Twitter stock may take flight: Social media giant hints initial public offering is coming,” by Scott Martin in San Francisco: “Twitter appears to be getting ready to issue stock to the public in the wake of social media companion Facebook's return to favor on Wall Street. The investment community has been expecting the micro-blogging service's initial public offering (IPO) to happen in early 2014, making the timing right for its regulatory filing to soon become public.” http://usat.ly/16FAr93

--FLASHBACK: Same reporter, July 29, “Twitter hiring for possibility of IPO”: “The micro-blogging service has posted a job opening for a financial reporting manager. The person would be responsible for filing the company's preliminary prospectus, or S-1 document, outlining its IPO plans.” http://usat.ly/18oFVqb

FALL STRATEGY – WSJ A4, “White House Sifts Fiscal Ideas With Band of Senators,” by Janet Hook: “[T]he White House is reaching out to a band of Senate Republicans who are mostly newcomers to the worn trenches of fiscal warfare. The group of eight Republicans has been meeting regularly with senior White House officials to hash over major fiscal issues as fall deadlines rapidly approach, including four times in the two weeks before Congress began its August recess. The group … is notably lacking in top-ranking party officials and budget experts … Sen. Johnny Isakson (R., Ga.), an organizer of the group, said it is designed to be a ‘sounding board,’ not a negotiating team. He said Mr. McConnell is kept apprised of the group's meetings. The group has its roots in the private dinners President Obama held earlier this year.”

POLL DU JOUR: “Weiner breaks a record,” by Hadas Gold: “More than two-thirds of New Yorkers find Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer’s campaigns ‘embarrassing’ and Weiner’s unfavorable rating has set a record, … [a]ccording to the Siena College poll … Spitzer fares better than Weiner, boasting a 59 percent unfavorable rating, versus Weiner’s 80 percent unfavorable rating among New Yorkers. ‘Weiner has set a new all-time Siena College Poll record with 80 percent of voters viewing him unfavorably – including three-quarters of Democrats and New York City voters – compared to only 11 percent who have a favorable view … ,’ Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.”

MEDIAWATCH -- "Financial Times appoints Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson US News Editor -- Gary Silverman appointed US national editor and remains deputy US managing editor": "The Financial Times ... announces the appointment of Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson (@Edgecliffe) as US news editor. From October he will coordinate the FT’s daily Americas news coverage globally. In his 16 years at the FT, Edgecliffe-Johnson has been deputy news editor, covered mergers & acquisitions, overseen management features and written for the influential Lex column. Since 2005 he has been global media editor, leading coverage of music, entertainment, digital media, marketing and big data. Martin Dickson, FT US managing editor, said: 'Andrew has been a superb media editor, who has won great respect across the industries he covers. With his history of excellence in reporting, editing and team leadership, he will be a strong and dynamic US news editor.' Gary Silverman, currently US news editor, will remain US deputy managing editor while taking on the new position of US national editor. In this role, Silverman will continue to write his lauded New York Notebook column and analyse key business issues.

"Lionel Barber, editor of the FT, said: 'Gary has been the guiding force behind our outstanding coverage of the global financial crisis and its impact on Wall Street. His brilliant eye for a story, his impeccable judgement, his quick, sure editing, and his support and encouragement of colleagues has made him a model editor at home and abroad.'"

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Send to a friendMO ELLEITHEE named DNC communications director -- ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER in S.F. today: 'We must never stop being tough on crime. But we must also be smarter on crime' -- TWITTER TAKING STEPS to go